The Marines had been missing since Oct. 20, when they failed to report to their respective places of duty. An inventory of the 24th MEU's armory, where Stocks worked, found that military weapons and ammunition were also missing.

The missing armory items included one M-16A2 rifle, three M-9 pistols, two shotguns, ammunition for each of the weapons, two K-bar knives, and three pairs of night vision goggles.

The discovery immediately prompted an intensive effort by Camp Lejeune military police, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and North Carolina state police to locate the Marines and the weapons. The search ended peacefully with the Marines' arrest and the recovery of the weapons at about 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Marines are being held at the York City Police Department. Charges against them are pending, and a complete investigation into the matter is underway.

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